Nested chairs



Filed Aug. 27, 95g

.INVENTORL M A L C C 2 Shams-5 2 Film Aug. 27, 1952 INVENTOR.

NESTED CHAIRS Clyde 6. Lamb, Milwaukie, Oreg.

Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,526

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-194) This invention relates to improvements on articles of furniture, in particular to chairs, settees, chaises longues and the like of a kind which can be nested or stacked for shipment or for storage when not in use.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a chair or similar article, or the essential framework therefor, of few pre-formed components which are united to form a unitary structure of exceptional strength combined with light-weight, to which arm rests can be added without alterin the basic structure, and one whereby a plurality of identical articles, either with or without arm rests, can be nested or stacked together in super-imposed relation, and in any order of arrangement, more compactly than articles now provided for like purposes.

Other objects such as pleasing appearance, improved lateral stability, adaptability to modification of form of the novel features, to provide variety in design and one in which advanced manufacturing techniques and methods can be combined to produce articles of high quality at low cost, will be apparent as the description proceeds. These objects are accomplished by the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, and accordingly there is provided a chair or similar article of furniture, comprising a seat part or frame, a back part or frame, front and rear legs, and if desired, arm rests, and so constructed that the chairs or the like can be nested or stacked so compactly that a plurality of the nested articles occupy little floor space in excess of that required for one article.

in the completed articles the minimum distance between the rear legs exceeds the maximum width of the seat, no novelty for which is claimed in this invention. The present invention is characterized in that the members forming the front of the seat are continued downwardly to provide front legs of substantially inverted Y-like form,

the distance across the upper parts of the said front legs being less than the width of the seat, the diverging limbs terminating in parts the distance across which are equal to, or greater than, the Width of the seat; a feature providing improved lateral stability, and also increased rigidity for the front legs without adding a rail or bracing member therebetween.

This invention is also characterized in that the several parts thereof, are doubled where they are joined together, thus providing a lapped joint, resulting in a more rigid ructure.

This invention is further characterized in that all essential curves of the cooperating parts are disposed in horizontal planes, or in vertical planes residing transversely, a feature which eliminates forwardly curved parts, where resulting difference in inside and outside radii of the forwardly curved members would prevent compact nesting.

In order that a clear understanding of the present invention may be obtained, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example two embodiments of the essential framework of till 2,709,484 Patented May 31, 1955 chairs constructed of metal rod or tube, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, and in which:

Figure l is an exploded view of a chair constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the assembled chair shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the chair shown in Figures 1 and 2 when modified for use as a longue chair or settee, and

Figure 4 is a side view showing the compact nesting of the chairs illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is seen that provision for exceptionally compact nesting of a plurality of the articles has been achieved by disposing all essential curves of the structure .in horizontal and transverse planes. The seat is defined by the frame members thereof, the side members 1, being brought together at the front centrally thereof, to form a front member therefor, and then continued downwardly, being joined together below the front of the seat as at 1A, and then diverging to form the front legs 3. The back rest 2 is formed integral with the near legs 4, the side members of the back rest being turned inwardly toward the transverse center thereof, and then continuing downwardly to the back of the seat, then diverging along the back of the seat to the sides thereof, from which they are projected downwardly to constitute the rear legs 4, one at each side, the diverging parts being joined to the back of the seat as shown at 2A in the horizontal plane of said back seat member.

To this basic structure arm rests can be added, thus providing an arm chair. The arm rests supporting members 5, are joined to the lower parts of the front legs 3, below the seat, one at each side, as shown at SC, in the transverse plane of the said front legs and to the back rest 2, as at 513, in the transverse plane of said back rest. The upwardly extending parts 5B of the said arm rest supporting members 5, reside in planes outside the planes of the rear legs, thus providing a gap or space between the sides of the seat and the arm rests, for the rear legs to pass through when the chair or the like are nested or stacked. The said upwardly extending members 5B terminate above the seat, in parts 5A, projecting outwardly, the said outwardly projected parts terminating in rearwardly extending parts 5, the rear ends of which are turned inwardly towards the transverse center of the back rest and joined thereto in the transverse plane thereof, as at 5E. The arm rests d are so formed and disposed as to reside substantially within the area defined by the parts 5, 5A, and 5.5 of the arm rest supports, and substantially co-planar with the said area defining members.

Figure 3 illustrates a longue chair or settee wherein the seat has been lowered to provide for suitable cushions to be placed thereon. Since the diverging limbs of the front legs 3, more nearly approach the horizontal, the structure has been strengthened by the arm rest supporting members 5B, continuing upwardly from the juncture 5C with the front legs 3 to the underside of the front seat member, and being joined thereto as at 51), in the transverse plane of the said front seat member, and of the front legs 3.

Figure 4 illustrates the compact nesting of the chairs. An upper chair can be placed on a lower chair by passing same so that its seat and rear legs enter between the side arms of the lower chair, the seat and front legs of the lower chair passing between the rear legs of the upper chair. Each chair is thus slightly forward of the one immediately beneath it until as the stack progresses, the bottom ends of the rear legs of the upper chairs will pass over the lower parts of the front legs of the lower chairs, where the said front legs extend outward transversely. Thus the legs clear although the lower parts of the front legs be spaced apart a distance greater than the rear legs.

'The chairs 'andthe like'maybe completed as desired by providing a seat to reside co-planar with the seat frame members and/or with removable cushions for seat and back. Additionally the arm rests may be upholstered and adapted to be removed and packaged with the removable seat and back cushions when the articles are stacked for shipment or storage.

The foregoing disclosure is not to be taken as being limitative since it is apparent to one skilled in the art, that the novel features are adapted to be modified to provide variety in design, to serve particular purpose, or to conform to advanced construction methods and techniques, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

-1. A-chairor similar article of furniture, comprising a'seat part -or frame, a back supporting part or frame, front and rear legs, the side members of the seat part or frame converging to provide a front member for the seat part, said converging members continuing downwardly from'the front of said seat part, centrally thereof, the downward continuing parts joined together below the 'front of the seat part, then diverging to provide front legs; the upper parts of the rear legs, terminating in parts converging along the back of the seat part, the converging parts joined to the back of said seat part, and terminating in parts projecting upwardly, to support a back rest.

'2. -A chair or similar article of furniture, including a back supporting part above the seat part, the lower parts of said back support extending downwardly and terminating in parts diverging along the back of the seat part, said diverging parts joined to the back of said seat part, the diverging parts terminating in parts extending downwardly to provide rear legs, one at each side the side members of the seat part converging to provide a front member for said seat part, said converging members joined together below said front member of the seat part to provide frontlegs, the front legs defining a substantially inverted Y-like form integral with and extending downward from the front member of the seat part, centrally thereof, with the lower parts of the diverging limbs located in slightly diverging relation, there being secured to each lower part, or formed integrally therewith, upwardly extending members which terminate above the seat part in parts projected outwardly, the outwardly projected parts terminating in parts extendingre'arwardly to the back supporting part, and being joined thereto in the vertical plane thereof, one at each side, to support arm rests, the said upwardly and rearwardly extending arm rest supporting members residing in planes outside the vertical planes of the seat and rear legs.

3. A chair or similar article of furniture comprising a seat part or frame, a back supporting part or frame, front and rear legs and arm supporting parts, the lower parts of the upwardly extending members of said arm rest supports terminating in upwardly curved portions, the lower parts of the upwardly curved portions joined to the upper side of the lower parts of the front legs, one at each side, the upper termini of said upwardly curved portions joined to the underside of the front member of the seat part, one at each side thereof, the said upwardly curved members residing in the vertical plane of the front member of the seat part and the front legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 793,783 Griswold July 4, 1905 1,993,601 Goldberg Mar. 5, 1935 2,063,780 Ball Dec. 8, 1936 2,307,138 Kraeft Jan. 5, 1943 2,574,367 Zeisel Nov. 6, 1951 2,631,655 Jannell'o Mar. 17, 1953 

